Samsung trademark application reveals Galaxy S Neo name

Recently we’ve noticed Samsung playing around with new branding – like back at the CES, how there were those new PRO-series tablets. Another move has been a little more subtle, but we’ve been noticing more and more Samsung devices popping up with this “Neo” moniker. You may have heard us discussing the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, and we also saw the Galaxy Grand Neo surface. Thinking back it on it a little, we could even include the ATIV S Neo in this group. From the looks of things, it’s not stopping here, and a new US trademark filing reveals the company’s interest in the name Galaxy S Neo, as well.

The idea of a new Samsung brand identify is interesting, but so far it’s not entirely clear what the intention is. With the Note 3 Neo, for instance, we’re looking at essentially a “Lite” version of the namesake device, with heavily dialed-back specs and a more compact size. On the other hand, while the ATIV S Neo did make a few small sacrifices compared to the ATIV S itself, they weren’t nearly so severe. For the moment, that means we don’t know if Neo will become the new Lite, or Mini, or if it could represent some different spin on Samsung hardware.

It’s also interesting to note that this trademark is just for the Galaxy S Neo, and not something more specific, like the Galaxy S 5 Neo. That has us wondering if – regardless of what the name has meant in the past – Neo could soon become the face of Samsung’s lower-end handsets; at least that would avoid dragging the GS5 down with it.

Stephen has been writing about electronics since 2008, which only serves to frustrate him that he waited so long to combine his love of gadgets and his degree in writing. In his spare time, he collects console and arcade game hardware, is a motorcycle enthusiast, and enjoys trapping blue crabs. Stephen's first mobile device was a 624 MHz Dell Axim X30, which he's convinced is still a viable platform. Stephen longs for a market where phones are sold independently of service, and bandwidth is cheap and plentiful; he's not holding his breath. In the meantime, he devours smartphone news and tries to sort out the juicy bits Read more about Stephen Schenck!